Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan Sign Makkah Joint Defence Agreement

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, establishing a collective deterrence pact where an armed attack on one signatory is treated as an attack on all three. The agreement combines the military capabilities of a top oil exporter, NATO's second largest army, and the only nuclear armed Muslim country. According to the 2026 Global Firepower Index, the bloc possesses approximately 1.4 million active military personnel, 3,400 aircraft, 6,000 tanks, and 344 naval assets, with a combined annual defence budget of about 124.4 billion dollars. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif described the pact as a possible model for a wider military alliance among Islamic countries, while the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has hailed it as an important strategic step. Bahrain, Kuwait, and Somalia have welcomed the agreement, and Iran has expressed a positive tone regarding regional security cooperation. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani recently congratulated Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on the pact and expressed interest in visiting Pakistan. Center left sources frame the agreement as a defensive measure consistent with the United Nations Charter and a tool for regional stability. Center right sources frame the pact as a potential ideological military bloc, with some analysts comparing it to an Islamic Nato and expressing concern over its implications for India. Specifically, some center right reporting suggests the alliance could facilitate fundraising for Pakistan based terror groups or increase the risk of radicalization and terror attacks against India.